


Tea Treaty

by veracity



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Female Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-27
Updated: 2011-02-27
Packaged: 2017-10-18 12:13:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/188777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veracity/pseuds/veracity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reports, requests, and even inventory were simply means to an end: to get what they (whoever they were) wanted. Sometimes it was simple, like adding extra 100 cases of toilet paper for the requisition form, especially on Taco Day with the mysterious Pegasus buffalo that resembled a mix of ostrich and warthog.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tea Treaty

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the "Let's Blow Something Up" challenge in [](http://stargateland.livejournal.com/profile)[**stargateland**](http://stargateland.livejournal.com/).

The paperwork kept piling up no matter how much reading and signing off she did. Truthfully, it was on par with her college teaching positions, except the Stargaters were horrible spellers. Don’t get her started on the lack of punctuation. Reports, requests, and even inventory were simply means to an end: to get what they (whoever they were) wanted. Sometimes it was simple, like adding extra 100 cases of toilet paper for the requisition form, especially on Taco Day with the mysterious Pegasus buffalo that resembled a mix of ostrich and warthog. Others were detailed descriptions in moving departments or teams.

In short: it was an endless job that no one particularly wanted. She frequently took many, many migraine pills after the screen time spent reading the many, many reports on Sheppard’s lack of reasonable respect for not pissing off the Wraith. On average, ten out of eleven non-mission reports involved the colonel’s personnel (including a certain scientist) and personal skills off-world

Actually, that particular complaint had an entire folder, printed and bound, full. Sometimes, a word would be omitted from a report, here and there, to keep the military leader on board. He was invaluable from a morale and warrior standpoint of getting stuff done. Bates would have been fine before his tangle with Teyla but he wasn’t willing to bend the rules in a new way of existing enough for her. Strict by-the-book dealings had no place with enemies that could kill you, then bring you back, then kill again until boredom set in.

Times like this made Elizabeth miss Aiden. He wouldn’t have lead well, but as a second-in-command, he was perfect because he instinctively reacted in dangerous situations. Plus, he loved C-4 and flash-bangs, which were useful tools in this new landscape. There had been something in him, like puppy age Sedge, the need to please and be useful. He would watch out and grab an extra cup of Jello for McKay when no one asked, or keeping Sheppard safe throughout the expedition. That last one was extremely important. And accepting Teyla as another member on the team, without question or derision had helped in solidifying a sort of ease of suspicion from some of the other military personnel doubters.

Teyla stood with the expedition more often than deserved, considering the trouble they had gotten her people into. In an effort to help these new refugees, the Athosians had taken the Wraith on. Not only did they do that, but they also introduced the team to allies – or potential allies. For a group without connections or a base, that had been very important in food supplies and clothing replacements when something was destroyed and there was nothing Earth-made available. The uniforms had been brought in quadruplet, but the civilian clothes had been torn apart while initially cleaning up Atlantis.

She let out a short growl of frustration. “Enough!”

It was close to eleven, Earth time, and her body was tired. A bit of tea and some conversation was order. Teyla wouldn’t be asleep and it would allow a light break. After the first two months or turmoil, they had established a “tea treaty.” Amidst finding the balance, both leaders had decided to be something more than coworkers and closer to friends. The only rule was to discuss anything outside jobs. Usually it resulted in speaking of childhood.

Once they had discussed their first loves. Hers had been in 11th grade; a senior that was destined for great things and they didn’t survive past the end of the school year, but it had been an amazing romance that had helped shape feature lovers as she grew up. Teyla spoke of a young man in an ally community that had sent her flowers back with her father for a year, and then walked along the nature paths when she accompanied her father. Very chaste, but it had hurt when he’d been culled before they could properly date.

There was the afternoon where they had discussed their favorite foods and then later attempted to cook them. Definitely more difficult when there was lack of the proper cheese to create salmon wellington, steamed vegetables, real mashed potatoes and cheese breadsticks. Actually, the lack of salmon hadn’t helped either. Mainly it just provided the chance to be carefree and learn about Teyla’s favorite foods. Eventually, they had been incorporated to the menu, along with Charin providing recipes since the younger woman’s cooking skills were suspect at best. Tuttleroot soup was still a common favorite after the rationing had been rolled back with the availability of tuttleroots on the mainland.

Yes, it was definitely time for tea and cakes: to remember things outside of war and politics, of self-doubt and misery.

  


*~*~*~*~* 

  


This time, it tasted slightly of ginger and blossoms mixed with some kind of green leaf. At home, it would have tasted terrible. Tossed out a window terrible, in fact, but here the taste seemed to relax and soothe a harried soul. Elizabeth looked at Teyla, watched the light bounce from the windows onto the deep reds hidden with hair. “You knew, didn’t you?”

The Athosian simply smiled and watched her friend before replying with care. “You have been…hesitant over something and it was almost a shadow following you; this pressure, this fight, to keep Atlantis as she is - and for us to have a safe haven in the middle of terror. “ An incline to her head, as if to question something internally, the cup was gently placed on the table next to her. “Come, we need to meditate in a way that will work for you.” Placing Elizabeth’s cup next to the discarded one, they left Teyla’s room and went towards the commander’s office.

“Oh, Teyla, I really don’t think work is what I need right now.” In fact, her hand still ached from the stylus for all the sign-offs. “I really do _not_ want to see the requisitions from the new Earthside crew that hasn’t adapted to the technology yet.” Atlantis was fickle.

“You misunderstand. It is not the office we are going to.” Several turns through several sets of doors and hallways led them to Elizabeth’s balcony. “This is your meditation room. According to your alternate self, it has always been so. Here you must find your peace.” Soaking the rays into her skin, she sat cross-legged in the middle of floor. “This is where you must ask those important questions that you do not share with us.” Quietly, she waited for the brunette to join her.

Elizabeth made a decision then. This was her equal in many ways; the one who led people to life and death while hoping it was the best option for the whole community. The pressure weighed against tightly knotted shoulder blades, bowing the back, when she wasn’t in front of the crew. A weak leader was an ineffective one. “I feel like I’m not doing the best job for everyone; that I am no longer the best option. I know I fought for this, and I will continue to, but the doubts and deaths are pressing into my soul, piercing what makes me who I am.”

Carefully, Teyla reached over. “You are an excellent leader, Elizabeth. We do not defend as we do out of obligation. You are respected because of the hard choices you make.” Elizabeth thought she was done until the other woman continued. “My father was the former leader. At an early age, I was taught to be a true leader. One of the first things that my father trained me was that loss is an unfortunate side effect of life. That we are not defined by the wins, but the reactions to losses. You bargained with the Genii in order to save us all. You have done a worthy job. Do not doubt yourself.

Thankfully, this didn’t break the tea pact since it was more about psyche than soldiering. These were important reprieves.

“You are new to the extreme danger caused by the Wraith, yet you have fought your military and government in order to do what you feel is right. That is never easy. You defend us out of kindness. There were times my father faced similar problems. Not just with the Wraith, but with other communities too damaged and broken by leadership.

“My people have the ability to locate the Wraith, we are connected to the species, and it has saved us many times. It has also forced people to cast us out over failed warnings.

“Your gift is in being able to see all sides of an argument and find the fairest point. A great number of leaders are unable to let go of emotions in order to make concessions. You are a true leader.” Off the floor, Teyla stood up, leaning against the balcony railing. “Relax and meditate on what you have accomplished and the good things set into motion. Not every negative action is because of your decisions. Sentient beings must take responsibility for themselves.”

After her friend left, Elizabeth turned off the intercom and simply contemplated the beauty of the night sky’s many stars floating in the air. No skyscrapers, pollution, or horns interrupting the tranquility. Teyla had been right: for all the bad that had happened, the majority of the cut-off expedition still lived. Best to dwell on the mistakes. Learn and adapt from, absolutely, but a lack of confidence in decisions would allow final destruction. No. Defending and protecting was all that was worth focusing on right now.


End file.
